Bose® A20®
Aviation HeadsetThe Best We've Ever Made
Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to
aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly.
Today, we continue to set the standard with the Bose A20 Aviation
Headset. The headset provides acclaimed noise reduction, with a
comfortable fit and the clear audio you expect from Bose. It also
features Bluetooth®
connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and priority switching.
Learn more.

FAA
APPROVES TESTING FOR 787 FIXThe FAA has approved flight
testing of what Boeing hopes will be a permanent fix for the lithium ion
batteries on its 787 airliners. Two test aircraft have been cleared for
flight to test a three-part solution to the issue that has grounded the
fleet since the middle of January. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
said the aircraft won't carry a passenger until the fix is proven
through a "comprehensive series of tests." "We won't allow the plane to
return to service unless we're satisfied that the new design ensures the
safety of the aircraft and its passengers," LaHood said in a statement.
It appears Boeing has opted to fix the existing setup rather than
recertify a new system and it involves a reworking of the internal
workings of the battery. More...

NTSB
ISSUES FIVE SAFETY ALERTS FOR GA PILOTS AND MECHANICSThe
NTSB issued five safety alerts on Tuesday that aim to highlight the five
most frequent errors that cause general aviation accidents. "We see the
same types of accidents over and over again," said NTSB Chairman Deborah
Hersman. "What's especially tragic is that so many of these accidents
are entirely preventable." The alerts remind pilots to develop effective
risk-management strategies, pay close attention to maintenance issues
and always conduct a careful diagnostic flight after leaving the shop,
be vigilant when flying at night or in reduced visibility, and be sure
to understand stalls and how to prevent them. One alert, aimed at
mechanics, reminds them to carefully follow procedures when conducting
inspections and maintaining aircraft. More...

FCC
WANTS TO PHASE OUT 121.5 ELTSThe FCC says it wants to get on
with the process of phasing out 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters
and anyone with comments or concerns has until April 1 to make them
known. On Jan. 7 the commission issued its third Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (PDF) on the topic, calling for an end to the import,
manufacture or sale of 121.5 ELTs a year after the rule becomes
effective. In 2009, the FCC amended its rules to ban the ELTs
immediately. Since ELTs are required equipment, that would have left
hundreds of thousands of aircraft owners with illegal devices on their
aircraft. After hearing from the FAA and various groups about the
impracticality of such a move, the FCC backed off. The phased approach
appears to be causing little concern among the groups or authorities.
More...

Sennheiser S1 Digital
Aviation Headset
It is time to look beyond the ordinary and treat yourself to the most
technologically advanced headset in the market. Offering revolutionary
adaptive digital noise cancelation and customizable comfort features
such as headband contact pressure adjustment, the S1 Digital
redefines customization and comfort in the cockpit. Be bold, be
different, and join Sennheiser in the pursuit of perfect sound!
Learn more.

EMBRAER,
BEECHCRAFT SPAR OVER AIR FORCE CONTRACTBeechcraft and
Embraer are engaged in a public relations battle over the Air
Force's choice of Embraer's Super Tucano for a $427 million contract
to provide a light air support (LAS) platform. The Air Force made its
selection on Feb. 27 and within a week Beechcraft announced it would
formally protest the award, suggesting there might be irregularities in
the process and noting the Super Tucano will cost significantly more
than the AT-6 it offered. Within hours, Embraer and its primary
contractor on the project, Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC), issued a joint
statement defending their successful bid and expressing disappointment
that Beechcraft is challenging the choice of the Super Tucano a second
time. The Embraer/SNC consortium won 2011 competition for the contract,
which then-Hawker Beechcraft successfully challenged and overturned. The
earlier challenge uncovered irregularities in the consideration of the
bids by the Air Force, and Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture said in a
statement that he doesn't think the second bid was handled properly
either, particularly since the Embraer aircraft will cost significantly
more than the AT-6. "Given our experience of last year and our continued
strong concern that there are again significant errors in the process
and evaluation in this competition, we are left with no recourse other
than to file a protest with the GAO," he said. More...

The Biggest Aviation
Show on the Planet ... Is Back!
The award-winning hit TV series The Aviators is back for
an all-new third season showcasing everything from the F-22 and DC-3 to
LSA and balloons. We take you dogfighting in the Nevada desert, flying
with the USAF Thunderbirds, and look on as Mötley Crue frontman
Vince Neil learns to fly. Join our 10 million weekly US viewers and
countless more worldwide.

FAA
SETTLES WITH DENVER CRASH VICTIMSThe FAA has paid millions
of dollars worth of settlements to 65 people who were on a Continental
Airlines Boeing 737 that was blown
off a runway at Denver International Airport on Dec. 21, 2008. KMGH-TV reported that the agency was facing a
lawsuit for its role in the accident, in which several people were
severely injured but no one was killed. The NTSB report said controllers failed to warn the
pilots of 40-knot crosswind gusts before they took off. The aircraft
captain was among those who accepted a settlement from the FAA.
More...

Get Masimo's iSpO2 at AeroMedix.com
Masimo is an American manufacturer of hospital-grade oximeters famous
for holding a signal in high vibration/motion environments. With
iSpO2, they have
developed software that will run on an iPod/iPad/iPhone and married it
with their pulse oximeter design. You can watch your oxygen saturation
as you climb to altitude and observe your heart rate. Very helpful for
setting the proper oxygen flow.
Get yours today at
AeroMedix.com!

CSERIES
OFFERS 160-SEAT VERSIONBombardier says it will fly its first
CSeries passenger airliner by the end of June and it's already making
changes to the original design by squeezing more seats onboard. The
company unveiled its first flight test article last week and announced
that the larger version of the airplane, which was initially envisioned
with 130 seats, then 150, will also be available with 160 seats. The
bigger version needs an extra set of emergency exits over the wings.
During the unveiling, Mike Arcamone, president of the company's
commercial aircraft division, touted the clean-sheet design. "It is not
a re-engineered aircraft to put in the market. It is totally a new
aircraft," he said in reference to Boeing, Airbus and Embraer who are
revamping existing aircraft in the same size range. Bombardier is also
the launch customer for Pratt and Whitney's new geared turbofan engine,
which is expected to be 20 percent more efficient than existing engines.
However, there are some analysts who suggest that potential customers
may be waiting for the CSeries to prove itself before committing to
orders. More...

AND
THE COLLIER GOES TO -- CURIOSITYThe NASA/JPL Mars Science
Laboratory/Curiosity Project Team will receive the 2012 Robert J.
Collier Trophy, the National Aeronautic Association announced on
Tuesday. In choosing the project from a field of seven nominees,
the committee cited the"extraordinary achievements of successfully
landing Curiosity on Mars, advancing the nation's technological and
engineering capabilities, and significantly improving humanity's
understanding of ancient Martian habitable environments."
More...

A Professional
PilotAvailable from AVweb Bookstore.
Guides to help you along the way to becoming a professional pilot. These
and others will outline your choices, let you know what to expect (and
what will be expected of you), and offer critical guidance to help you
succeed along the path you choose, each step of the way. Call
(800) 780‑4115 or
click here for more information.

Billy Palmertree has joined US
Aviation in Denton, Texas and is running the avionics department and FAA
Part 145 Repair Station. He was formerly general manager of Tomlinson
Avionics.More...

WHO'S
WHERE? YOU TELL USGet a promotion or a new job? Your
colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word
out. Drop us a line about the
staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to
include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be
permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too.
More...

Get Into Today's Innovative
AircraftKitplanes is where the pieces come together and dreams take
flight.

VIDEO:
TOTAL ECLIPSE FLIGHT DEMOEclipse is touring
the country with its Total Eclipse, a factory re-do of the original
EA500. But the airplane is a good stand-in for new production airplanes,
which will be called Eclipse 550s. AVweb recently took a flight
demo in a Total Eclipse and prepared this video report.
More...

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest
business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events
featured on AVweb, the
world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The
AVwebBiz team is:

PublisherTom Bliss

Editorial Director,
Aviation PublicationsPaul
Bertorelli

Editor-in-ChiefRuss Niles

WebmasterScott Simmons

Contributing
EditorsMary GradyGlenn Pew

ContributorsKevin Lane-Cummings

Ad
CoordinatorKaren
Lund

Avionics EditorLarry
Anglisano

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